Asbestos Ban Passed By Senate

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October 14, 2007

An asbestos ban named the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007 that had been proposed by Congress six years ago was finally passed by the Senate last week in a unanimous bi-partisan decision. If President George W. Bush does not veto the bill, the United States will be among 40 other countries that have already passed similar legislation. The bill will ban the import and export of more than 3,000 materials what are known to have used mesothelioma-causing asbestos as part of their production. The Environmental Protection Agency will be charged in enforcing the product ban.

In conjunction to the act, additional legislation will set aside $50 million in monies to be used for research concerning asbestos and mesothelioma-related diseases and illnesses, as well as call for the creation of a national treatment network. A promotional campaign concerning asbestos awareness is included in the funds and will be used to draw public attention to the dangers of using asbestos-laden products.

Additionally, the act calls for the creation of a mesothelioma registry through the combined efforts of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSHA), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease registry (ATSDR) to be instated within one year after finalization of the act.

The United States once used approximately 800,000 tons of asbestos materials yearly in the mid-1970s. Today, the United States has decreased its consumption of asbestos products to approximately 200,000 tons annually. This is due in part from concerns that began to arise in the early 1970s that asbestos could be directly linked as a main cause of mesothelioma cancer for those who worked exclusively with the material in occupations that heavily supported asbestos consumption. Mesothelioma deaths have risen steadily every year since the link was made.

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